Page 4 - CfA

Week 1

The Riddle of Destiny: A Study of the Biographies of Key

Characters in Rudolf Steiner’s Mystery Dramas

With Marke Levene

Rudolf Steiner has given us remarkable inner guidance by which to explore the

nature of our relationships in this lifetime and to gain a clearer understanding

of how these relationships evolve over multiple lifetimes.

The first artistic exploration of these ideas came during annual summer

festivals in Munich, Germany between 1910 and 1913 in the form of plays

arising from spiritual ideas, among them the work of Edouard Schure.

Rudolf Steiner wrote four Mystery Dramas for these festivals: The Portal of

Initiation, The Soul’s Probation, The Guardian of the Threshold, and The Soul’s

Awakening. In later years he further elaborated on the themes depicted in
these dramas through lectures on “Karmic Relationships.”

In our workshop we will explore the mystery plays by looking at the biographies
of some of the key characters. Our tools will be a combination of Speech

Formation exercises, Eurythmy, and

basic principles of theater. We will

plan at the end of the conference

to present some portions of scenes

from the plays.

Previous experience or skill in

theater production will not be

expected. We will work in a genuine
community way to bring out aspects

of what lives in these dramas.

Marke Levene, orphaned at birth, was adopted by parents who worked in Hollywood;

from age 5 to 19 he was a leading child and teenage character actor. Marke found

anthroposophy in his early 20s, became a eurythmist, and created the company Portal

Productions, which toured the mystery dramas in the 1980s and 1990s. The New World

Symphony Eurythmy tour was his initiative. He founded the children’s products company
Enchantmints. He has been a member of the Council of Anthroposophical Organizations

(CAO) for the past 12 years.

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Center for Anthroposophy — Renewal Courses 2014